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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. craft — a skill
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. stock — shares
  8. ball — a dance
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. last — final
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — in cards
  16. craft — boats
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. suit — to fit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — finally
  21. track — to keep track
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com